All Around the Town
by Nopride4531
Summary: After Elena kissed him, Damon thought that things in his life were starting to perk up. Until a tragic event happens and he realizes who he cares for more. One shot, no slash. Brotherly love!


**Okay so this takes place after the episode where Elena kissed Damon (don't know the name). One shot, no slash. Just brotherly love. Based on the Ellen and Jo scene in Supernatural. If you watch the show, you'll know which one I'm talking about. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters. **

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"You know, I thought I made myself clear when I almost killed you for the thousandth time," a voice said and Damon, Stefan, and Caroline turned around.

"Well, it's always been hard to make me listen," Damon said. "I figured that you'd just stop trying."

The Original Vampire smiled and shook his head, letting out a low whistle. Immediately, the people on the streets of Downtown Mystic Falls shuffled in huge hoards into any building they could find. Caroline and Stefan looked around with unease settling in their stomachs as doors slammed shut all around them. Finally, all was silent and the once bustling city resembled nothing more than a ghost town. The wind blew the odd leaf around the sidewalks, from east side to west side. None of the vampires found it odd when it suddenly just up and quit.

Without even consciously realizing what they were doing, Stefan and Damon positioned themselves in front of Caroline. Klaus took no notice of their actions and proceeded to smile at them, smugness radiating from him in a pulsating aura. The Hybrid could feel the anger bubbling through one of the vampires and he knew it was only a matter of time before its host acted on impulse. As a result, he decided to help it out.

"So how does it feel, knowing that you ruined your brother's life?" Klaus asked Damon. "After all, it was because of you he had to acquire the cure from me."

Clenching his fists, Damon took a threatening step toward him, only to have Stefan grab his arm. The younger vampire gave a warning shake of his head and released his hold.

"And you, Stefan. You forced Damon to turn. What's it like to live with that?"

The younger Salvatore took a step back as if Klaus had physically pushed him. Damon glanced at him and then quickly looked away, unable to take the look of pure pain in his eyes. With another angry snarl, he moved forward again, only to stop when he saw that the Hybrid was laughing.

"Ah well, no matter," He said with a good natured grin. "I've got a little suprise for all of you."

The wind picked up again and in its embrace carried the howls of many wolves. Stefan and Caroline's eyes flicked around nervously, but Damon merely narrowed his, refusing to let the Original see that he was frightened as well.

"Werewolves," he said in an exasperated, almost shaking voice. "Who woulda guessed?"

Klaus chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Now," he said. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. What'll it be?"

"What do you even want?" Stefan asked, finally speaking.

"Simple, Ripper. I want my doppelgänger."

"Like Hell!" Damon hissed and Stefan nodded.

"Very well then. Looks like we're doing this the hard way."

"Well when have you ever known us to do things easy?" Caroline yelled and Klaus only smiled again.

"Adieu, my friends," he said and his voice turned to a shout. "Sick em' boys!"

The vampire-werewolf hybrids came tearing out of alleyway after alleyway, snarling and barking at their mortal enemies.

"Go!" Stefan shouted to Caroline as he pushed her. "Get to the Grill!"

None of them found it strange that the busiest place in town was the only one not filled with people. Almost divine luck. But the funny thing about the gambling partner, is that it always runs out, no matter what. As Caroline and Stefan reached the doors to the Grill, one of the wolves snagged the cuff of Damon's jeans and pulled him down. Swearing, the older Salvatore managed to kick it before it could bite his leg, but he still couldn't get it off.

"Damon!" Stefan shouted and ran to his brother.

"Stefan stay back!" Damon shouted, mentally cursing his little brother's stubborn qualities.

With a strong kick, Stefan sent the wolf sailing back into the wall of an office building, leaving cracks in the bricks.

But he didn't see the wolf rushing toward him on his left.

With a startled scream, he was mowed down by one of the hyrbids. Before him, Damon, or anyone could react, the wolf had raked its claws down his chest and side and sunk its teeth into his neck. Stefan threw his head back and screamed, not caring about anything else except the searing pain flowing through his veins. If not for the bite, the wounds on his chest and side would've already been healing. But the poison had already worked its way into his body and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

After letting out an angry roar, Damon plunged his hand into the wolf's chest and pulled, tearing its heart out with relative ease. Then, he quickly lifted Stefan into his arms and ran into the Grill. Caroline waved him over to the kitchen and he made his way around tables and chairs until he reached her. She shut the heavy metal door behind him and pushed a steel rod through the handles. The wolves pounded against it for a few minutes, then stopped once they realized that it was futile.

"Okay, okay," Damon said as he gently set Stefan down against the oven. "Caroline! Get over here!"

"What can I do?" The young girl asked as she knelt down beside him.

"Go find something we can use to patch up the wounds. He's already weak and we can't let him get worse because of blood loss."

Caroline nodded and began to practically tear the kitchen apart in her search for bandages.

"Stefan," Damon said, placing his hands on his brother's shoulders. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay."

Stefan looked up at him, breathing heavily and raggedly. He coughed a couple times, but nodded. He knew the truth. He wasn't going to make it. Klaus would never give Damon the cure. He was tired of playing this game like a gentleman. He had no use for the Salvatore brothers anymore. All he wanted was Elena and he'd realized that he would get what he wanted a lot easier with those two out of the way. Stefan was actually suprised that it had taken him that long to figure it out.

"Here," Caroline said and handed Damon some towels. "It was all I could find and we can use my belt to keep them in place."

After the make-shift bandages were in place, Damon stood and pulled Caroline into the far corner of the room.

"We need to find a way to get him out of here," he said and she nodded.

"But how are we going to get away from those wolves?" She asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I could distract them and you could get him to Elena's or something..."

"I think it's time that we start being realistic here," Stefan said weakly and Damon and Caroline whirled around to look at him.

"What?" Caroline demanded and Stefan coughed before speaking.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said. "I can't move and my body's being turned to shit from the inside out."

"So what do you suggest we do, Genius?" Damon snapped.

"We're in a kitchen. We've got all the raw material we need to make a bomb, like propane. And we can just hook up the light switch wires to the propane tanks so when we flip one, it'll detonate the whole thing."

Damon and Caroline stared at him, looking for any sign that said he wasn't serious.

They found none.

"No," Damon said after a few moments of silence. "Not happening."

"Damon...," Stefan whispered as Caroline said,

"Okay."

"What?" Damon yelled as he whirled on her and she bravely met his gaze.

"Stefan's right, Damon. If we stay here, then there's no one left that's strong enough to protect Elena. There's no other way."

"Bull!" Damon shouted. "We've said that before and look what happened! I'm still here, aren't I?"

"You won't be if we don't hurry up and get this thing built," Stefan said. "Damon... Please."

The older Salvatore shut his eyes for a brief moment, but then looked down at his little brother. When he saw the stubborn, serious look he had, he nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

"You can do this, Stefan," Caroline said as she held his hand. "See you on the other side... Most likely sooner than later."

Stefan chuckled, the bite on his neck getting worse and worse every second. Caroline kissed his cheek and stood.

"Caroline," he murmured and she turned to face him. "Make it later."

She smiled and felt her eyes tearing up. Turning around, she pretended to be preoccupied with her fingernails so she could let Damon and his brother say their good-byes.

As soon as he knelt down next to him, Damon knew that his walls were going to crumble. He put on a brave face and managed a small smile as he pushed Stefan's sweaty hair back. He wrapped his arms around him and gently held him, rocking back and forth slightly. Stefan weakly smiled and hugged Damon back, happy that his brother actually cared. After a few seconds, Damon pulled back and stood.

"Go Caroline," he said, not looking away from his brother.

"What?" The girl asked, shock evident on her face. "I said go. Get to Elena. Protect her no matter what."

"Damon no," Stefan said, face twisting as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Someone's gotta let those mutts in," Damon said. "And like you said, you're not going anywhere."

"Damon," Caroline whispered.

"Get outta here, Caroline. Don't make me force you."

She had more fight left in her. But after taking one look at the older Salvatore's face, she decided to do as he said. With one last tearful glance, she turned on her heel and made her way out the fire escape.

When she was gone, Damon walked over to the door and removed the steel bar. He turned on the propane and sat down next to Stefan. He put one arm around him and rested the other against the light switch that was just inches away. Stefan rested his head against his brother's shoulder and sighed weakly.

"Hey," Damon said and Stefan barely managed to look up at him. "I'm so proud of you, Stef. You'll always be my little brother, no matter what happens."

A sudden bang against the door made Damon look up for a brief moment. When he looked back down, he saw that Stefan's eyes were closed.

"Stef?" He asked. "Stefan?"

When he got no response, he felt the walls he'd fought so hard to keep come tumbling down. Tears spilled out of his eyes and he felt sobs escape.

"Stefan," he choked and gently kissed the top of his head. "Oh God. It's okay. It's okay."

The door burst open.

Damon's head snapped up as he looked around the kitchen, hearing the low growl of the wolves. He heard pan after pan fly from the shelves and he held Stefan closer to him.

And then hot breath was right by his face, blowing his hair to the side ever so slightly.

He smiled.

"You can go straight to Hell, you ugly son of a bitch!"

And then the lights went out.

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**I hope you liked it! **

**-Nopride**


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